ARTICLES

Over time we will be adding content related to the services we offer. This content will address the questions below which are designed to stimulate  thought and discussion of topics we find are often assumed to be well understood, obvious or trivial. 

• Defining a fleet management system (FMS) - What is it? Is the answer as obvious as it would seem?
• Fleet Management System (FMS) selection - What does your organization need in a system and why? 
• Business process mapping and analysis - What is it? When and why should it be done? Who should participate?
• System Fit/Gap analysis -  How is comparing a current information system against replacement candidates best approached?
• Auditing your system - When is it important to review and document what you believe is happening? What should be audited?
• Defining 'Real Time' information - What does real time mean? How is the concept related to fleet management? Hoes it effect process, and does it benefit in excess of cost?
• System administration - Who does it? What are the qualifications? What part of the organization do they report to?
• Policy and procedure documentation - What is the difference between the two? What should be included in documentation? How should it be administered? How should it be delivered?  
• Outsourcing - Should you consider outsourcing? Do you have the data required to know if you should? What should process should you evaluate for potential outsourcing? Are there risks? If so how do you manage risk to ensure success? How do you measure initial and ongoing success? Are proper controls in place for owned assets including inventory or sale?
• Operations optimization - How can you arrive at the 'right size' for your fleet, particularly in a complex environment?
• Fleet Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) - What metrics are useful? How do you design them? Who are they useful to? How do they relate to the concept of 'real time'?
• Data access and analysis - Does it have to be hard to access and analyze the data you take so trouble to gather? Is infrastructure an excuse? Will a new software solve any perceived problem? If so, how?
• Data input - Do technicians need the same input devices  or programs as administrative workers? Has a fair analysis been done to determine the options?
• Continuous Quality Improvement - What is it and how can it be applied to operations and maintenance administration in a practical manner?
• The Pareto rule - How does the 80/20 rule apply? When does it not?
• Vehicle/Equipment standardization - What role should it play in your fleet? What should the relationship between standardization and new technology be?
• Best practice - For whom? Under what conditions or conext?
• What is 'just in time'? What is it NOT? 
• What is vehicle "down time"? How does it relate to out of service?